Concerning baby diaper changing stations in restrooms accessible to the public.
HB26-1130 would require certain buildings in Colorado that have indoor restrooms open to the public to provide baby diaper changing stations beginning in 2027/2028. The bill sets minimum placement requirements, generally requiring at least one changing station in each gender-specific restroom on each floor or in each non-gendered single-stall or multi-stall restroom on each floor. It also requires owners or managers to keep the stations clean, maintained, repaired, and replaced as needed, and to post signage showing where changing stations are located.
The bill defines key terms such as “restroom accessible to the public,” “gender-specific restroom,” and “certified historic structure,” and it creates exemptions for situations where installation would conflict with disability-access standards, for certified historic structures, for state-owned buildings and state institutions of higher education, for small businesses with fewer than 25 occupants, and for portions of buildings occupied by businesses that do not admit people under 21. The bill would add a new article to Title 9 of the Colorado Revised Statutes and would take effect after the referendum period unless referred to voters.
The bill would create a new state-level building requirement for public-facing indoor restrooms, adding duties for building owners and managers to install, maintain, and signpost baby diaper changing stations. It would affect building code compliance and enforcement through local permitting entities and building inspectors, while carving out exceptions for accessibility conflicts, historic structures, certain public buildings, small businesses, and age-restricted businesses. The measure would amend Colorado law by adding Article 5.9 to Title 9.
The bill’s subject matter suggests generally favorable support for family-friendly restroom accommodations, but the available legislative history shows it did not advance in the Senate committee process. There are no recorded committee transcripts or votes in the provided materials, so the only clear procedural signal is that the Senate Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs postponed the bill indefinitely on May 5, 2026. That action indicates the bill faced enough concern or lack of support to halt further consideration.
The main points of contention appear to be implementation burden, building-code and accessibility conflicts, and the scope of exemptions. Opponents or skeptical members likely focused on the cost and feasibility of retrofitting existing buildings, especially small businesses, historic structures, and buildings where adding a station could interfere with disability access. The bill’s exemptions for state buildings, small businesses, and age-restricted businesses suggest lawmakers were trying to address those concerns, but the indefinite postponement indicates unresolved disagreement over whether the mandate should apply broadly.